Crossing the Divide Revised
by FrostyTheDragon
Summary: Ben returns to Earth after three long years away and five years of being a part of the Black Company. The world he left behind is more chaotic than he thought, and he's left to once more be the hero. M for language, violence, and themes. [Infrequent Updates]
1. Chapter 1

Tetrax walked beside the casket, his eyes downcast and head bent in sorrow. He, like many of his crew, had disregarded their normal clothes in exchange for the ceremonial armor of the Black Company. Besides him, five others walked alongside the casket, each one a dear friend of the fallen. Tetrax couldn't help but glance at the young man across from him, a worried look crossing his expression. Though in his early twenties, the young man had changed much since he had left Earth six years before. His heavily muscled form moved with the grace of a jungle cat, each movement filled with the potential to kill. His short chestnut hair sat atop a strong face, though it was now gaunt and tinged grey from the lack of food or sleep. Many were suffering the same, distraught as they were by the loss of their friend.

The Petrosapien had seen many eyes in his day, and he held the belief that they were a window into the being who had them. Many shared the same eyes now. Hurt, pain, anger, and an undeniable thirst for revenge filled them. The young man's eyes, though, sent a chill through him. They were cold. Unlike the primal emotions radiating from the rest of the crew, the young man's eyes were as if he had shut down.

Fixing his gaze ahead of him, Tetrax signaled for the procession to halt. They had arrived at a torpedo tube on the side of the ship. He gently placed a hand on the casket and guided it into the tube. The others hesitantly followed, though the young man refrained from touching the casket. Tetrax couldn't blame him.

"Brothers and sisters," Tetrax said, turning to the rest of the gathered crew. Though some were missing, they would still hear his words as they were sent over the ship's comlink. "Today, we send a great warrior to the halls of his fathers and mothers. He was a paragon of all that the Black Company stands for, bringing fear to the unjust and bringing up the wronged. He fought against the injustice of our galaxy with all his strength and gave it all at the end. We send him now to the star that saw his last actions. Though he will be gone from us, the memory of his actions will live on in us all. Rook Blonko was a great warrior, and he will be missed. We should not mourn, however, for he has made us proud."

There was a silence for a split second before a great roar emerged from the gathered beings. Each one, though from different races and backgrounds, screamed in primal pride as they pumped their fists into the air. Tetrax could feel the sorrow and anger melt away to be replaced by pride and joy. For several days, they would show their love and celebrate Rook's life. Then, Tetrax had a mission for them.

Holding his fist to the right pectoral, Tetrax shouted, "Black Company, one and all!"

"Black Company one and all!" shouted the assembled, mimicking their leader's salute to the fallen. Many had come from dishonest backgrounds, yet here they stood as one.

Tetrax pressed a button next to the torpedo tube. The bulkhead sealed and there was a thunderous boom as the casket was sent into space. He knew that it would travel at several kilometers a second until it met the star's influence. There, it would burn until it was nothing but ash. Rook would be pushed by the solar winds into the universe where he would join the elements and become part of life.

"Brothers and sisters," Tetrax said, "Go now and attend your duties. We make for the Sol System. We shall take time to rest and celebrate our fallen friend. Then, we will reconvene and break for the stars once more."

With a final salute, the company disbanded into their units and headed for their positions on the ship. After several minutes, it was only Tetrax and the young man.

"How long before the next mission?" the young man asked.

Tetrax hadn't made the decision to disband easy, but it was necessary to ensure the Black Company survived the death of one of its most senior members. He turned to face the man.

"Time will decide. When the ceremonies of mourning have concluded, more will return to the ship. When that time comes, you will be recovered."

The young man nodded. "Thanks, Tetrax."

"Ben, you must mourn your friend. Don't shut down, it will only make the memories bittersweet. Feel what you must, and be prepared for when the time comes to move again," Tetrax said.

Ben Tennyson chuckled and felt tears begin to roll down into his goatee. "I didn't know you were such a softie, Tetrax."

The Petrosapien growled at his ward. "Don't get used to it. You need to keep up on what I've taught you. Don't lose focus of the mission."

* * *

Max Tennyson looked down at the data-slate in his hands. A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he reread the message once more. He rarely received messages from his grandson these days, though this was a welcome change. This would hopefully set things back on track here amongst the Tennysons.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking at the skies visible through the windshield of the Rust Bucket. Things seemed to fall apart so suddenly. Ben had stated he wasn't coming home for several years. Gwen had left college to become a Plumber after she had broken up things with Kevin. The two children he had taken on that summer trip all those years ago were grown up and had the experiences to prove it.

There was a picture on his dashboard that he had taped there. It depicted he and the kids during that first summer, with Ben looking ridiculous and Gwen looking oh-so-serious. He was in the background, pride beaming from his face. It now seemed so long ago, more like a dream than than the start of an adventure.

He picked up the glass from its holder and took a drink, enjoying the brandy as it flowed down his throat and warmed his belly. It would be an interesting time when Ben returned. Max had already secured time off for Gwen and had gotten Carl and Sandra to host the family this year.

Max chuckled as he remembered to "forget" to tell them of Ben's return. It would make for a better Christmas that way.

With a few taps of his fingers, the holo-slate pulled up a projected arrival time for the ship Ben was on. It estimated that he would arrive on Christmas day.

_A damn good present indeed_, Max thought with a smile.

* * *

Ben stood on the teleport bay in his normal clothes - a white shirt, green pants, and a black jacket and boots. He was nervous, more nervous than any other time in his past three years away from Earth. The pit in his stomach grew until he could feel himself getting sick. There was no controlling the sensation that he was entering the belly of the beast by going back home after being gone for three years. There was nothing he could do now, Tetrax had ordered several of the warrior-caste aliens to make sure he didn't leave the teleport bay before the Galvans were done with their calculations.

"Shit," Ben cursed. "I don't even have anything to give them."

Another Petrosapien, a warrior named Diamond Head, stepped forwards. He held out his hand and dropped a small cube into Ben's. "We thought you might forget," he said with a chuckle. "It's a small thing we asked the engineers to whip up. Just a small gift from the Black Company."

Ben raised an eyebrow at the young alien's gift. "You know humans are fragile, right?"

"Don't worry," an Appoplexian laughed. "It's not a bomb or anything. It's just a map of the galaxy. Press the button and a hologram shows everything currently documented."

Ben smiled and pocketed the cube. "You guys are too awesome."

Diamond Head shrugged. "It's what Black Company does. You know that better than anyone."

Smiling, Ben's attention transferred to the Galvan walking onto the deck. The small grey alien held a small pin and presented it to Ben before disappearing behind the warriors. Ben placed the pin on his breast pocket.

"It's been fun, guys!" Ben said with a salute. "Don't have too much fun with the celebrations."

"What other kind of fun is there?" Diamond Head laughed as Ben disintegrated into a host of blue particles.

Ben blinked and found himself standing on the lawn of his home, bag in hand. He inhaled slowly, regaining his courage. The snow crunched under his boots as he walked over the lawn to the door. He raised a hand and knocked, not really sure what to expect.

Grandpa Max opened the door. His smile seemed to almost break his face as he shouted for Ben's parents. As they approached the door, he dropped his bag and held out his arms. They rushed and hugged him, their laughs accompanied by tears of joy.

"Ben! So good to see you," Carl said. "We've missed you so much."

"My boy's back!" Sandra shouted to the world.

Ben smiled and hugged his parents, enjoying the feeling of being home. After a few moments, he shivered and they walked back inside. Carl took his bag and coat to his old room while his mother set him down at the kitchen table.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Sandra asked, ruffling Ben's hair. "You are so grown up."

Sheepishly, Ben readjusted his hair and smiled at his mother. "I'll just have some coffee if you've got that."

Sandra nodded and walked to the kitchen, leaving Ben at the table with Max.

"How've you been?" Max asked.

"It's been a long ride," Ben sighed. "Did you hear the news?"

Max nodded sadly, taking a sip of his own coffee. He didn't speak for a moment, but then said, "You did the right thing."

Ben just cast his gaze downward. As Sandra walked back in, Ben heard the doorbell. He jumped up and ran to the door, hoping to find his aunt and uncle. He wasn't disappointed, though the air was crushed from his ribs as his family hugged him.

"Uncle uncle," he begged.

"Why, yes I am," Frank laughed. He stepped inside and looked up at Ben. "You're too tall."

"Tell that to Tetrax. He's still taller," Ben said with a chuckle. He took his aunt and uncle's coats, letting them join his parents and Grandpa in the dining room. Something didn't feel right, and he realized that Gwen wasn't with them. He ducked his head into the dining room and asked.

"She's coming on her own from the outpost," Natalie said. "Gwen's been out there a lot recently."

"I'll wait outside for her," Ben said, opening the door and stepping into the cold beyond. He pulled a small container from his pocket and removed a capsule. Grimacing, he placed the capsule on the back of his tongue and swallowed. He stood there in the cold, not bothered by the low temperatures as much as he thought he would. The moon rose high in the sky, making Ben smile as he realized how glad he was to be home. He had missed the home he had known more than he cared to admit.

He pulled himself from his thoughts as a car pulled up to the house. Ben remained where he was and waited as Gwen pulled herself from the car. His breath caught in his throat as he saw his cousin. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, pulled back into a tight ponytail. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie. He was surprised to see that she had adopted the more worn clothes than her usual dress shirt and skirt.

"Ben? That you?" she asked, pulling a duffle bag from the seat beside her.

Stepping towards his cousin, he opened his arms to hug her. "You're damn right. I'm back."

Gwen's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't been expecting her cousin after all this time. He had spent so many years away that she had been beginning to believe that he had left them for good. A mixture of emotions welled up inside her. Before she knew it, she was jumping into his arms and hiding tears by burying her face in his chest. "You came back!"

Ben just chuckled and stood there holding his cousin. For a moment, he felt more at peace than the many years prior. Then, he felt as her tears of what he assumed to be joy turned into pained sobs. "Gwen, you okay?"

Gwen shook her head. She offered no explanation, and Ben just held her. They stood there for several minutes before he tugged her towards the door. She followed him as he entered the house. Their parents welcomed them and they all sat down at the table.

The first thing Ben thought was just how much food there was. Turkey, ham, potatoes, there was so much he was afraid of eating too much. He must have had some expression because his mother pushed some food onto his plate with a simple "eat".

The family sat there, eating their food and enjoying each other's company. Ben regaled them with tales from space while Gwen told them about her Plumbers duties. The parents, though they had the ghosts of worry still, knew that their children were safe, more or less.

"I'm Tetrax's ward," Ben said when asked about his position on the ship. "It has a different meaning than here on Earth. Basically, I'm his student. He teaches me all that he knows so that when the time comes, I can step in and take his place."

"Does the ship change crew often?" Carl asked.

Max shot him a "don't ask that" look as Ben hung his head. "Too often," he said.

"Sorry, son," Carl said.

Ben cracked a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't be. The crew knows the duties they are expected to carry out. Commanders included."

Carl nodded, proud to see his son grown into a man. "How many aliens are you able to become now?"

Glancing at the Omnitrix, Ben replied, "I have the master control now, which unlocks everything. The only thing is, I'm still reading through the files collected by our crew about alien species. Right now, I have four hundred and seventy-two aliens."

Max whistled. "That is quite a lot, though still only a small portion of what the Plumbers know of."

Ben was about to reply when the sound of a motorcycle's engine reved outside. He noticed that Gwen jumped at the sound, nearly dropping her fork. Moving to get up, Gwen interjected, "It's probably Kevin. I'll deal with it."

She walked across the room and slipped on her shoes before ducking out the door. Ben raised an eyebrow to Frank and Natalie as she left. "What was that about?"

Frank sighed. "She and Kevin broke up several months ago. Apparently, Kevin didn't quite get the memo and has been chasing Gwen regardless."

Ben nodded and stood. "I'm going to keep an eye on things. If it gets too heated, I'll step in and break it up."

Natalie smiled in appreciation as Ben left the table. He opened the door and stepped out again into the cold, surprised at the scene before him. Kevin stood in front of a trio of motorcycles, shouting at Gwen as she stood in front of him looking dejected. Ben sized up Kevin and his friends as he approached.

Kevin had grown some since they had last met. He had longer hair than before and left it open like a mane. Some scars marked his face, though not in a disfiguring way. He wore a simple black trenchcoat. Probably the most worrying factor, the man now wore a suit of body armor underneath the coat. The man and woman with him were dressed in a similar fashion, though they also had some alien rifles slung on their shoulders.

"You fucking bitch!" Kevin shouted. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? To us?"

"There was no us, not then," Gwen said, her face neutral. Ben could tell she was on the edge by the way she said, "You ruined that."

"I ruined that? Yeah, I fucked up. When has that stopped you before?" Kevin took a threatening step forwards as he said that. "You let it slide again and again. Now this is the thing that you break up over?"

"I was done with that, Kevin," Gwen said, sorrow dripping from her words. "You fucked up one too many times."

"You stupid bitch," Kevin snarled, grabbing ahold of Gwen's arm and disregarding her cry of pain. "You're coming with me."

Ben stepped into view, his boots crunching on the iced ground. He set a hand on Gwen's shoulder, gently pulling her behind him. Kevin was too shocked by his presence to offer any resistance to her leaving. Gwen looked at Ben in dismay. She hadn't planned it to go this far. Now, she had placed her cousin in danger.

"That's enough Kevin," Ben said resolutely.

Kevin, now recovered, laughed maniacally as he looked at his old friend. "Ben! You've come back. You should have stopped by to see your old pal Kevin."

Ben's face was stoic. "I think I made the right call by now showing up sooner. Now, what the hell is going on?"

Kevin jabbed a finger in Gwen's direction. "This bitch dumped me for no fucking reason. We were engaged and everything."

Holding up a finger, Ben said, "One: Don't you ever call my cousin a bitch again. Two: you need to chill the fuck out and leave. I will make you if you don't."

Kevin laughed again. "You? Make me leave? Don't give yourself too much credit, Tennyson."

Ben looked behind him as the front door opened. "Grandpa, please take Gwen back into the house. Kevin and I are going to have some words and then I'll be back inside for desert. Cake, right?"

Max nodded as he walked down to collect Gwen. He was surprised by how nonchalant his grandson was being. Kevin was far more deadly than when Ben had left last. Had Ben become that much more powerful? As he and Gwen returned to the house, he took one last look at Ben. The young man's arm was glowing. Max realized that the Omnitrix had showed up out of nowhere on Ben's arm. Instead of the watch-sized device he had known, it had grown into a full gauntlet.

Ben looked at Kevin when the door was closed. "Now, one last chance. Leave."

Kevin narrowed his eyes and stepped forward so that he and Ben were toe to toe. "Not a chance."

With a smile, Ben cracked his knuckles. "Make this fun."

AN: I have returned, fellow earthlings! Ben is back in the revised version of Crossing the Divide! Please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think! I'll try to put out multiple chapters a week, though that is not a guarantee. My work schedule is hectic at best and due to that, sometimes I'll be able to pump out three or four chapters a week, others only maybe one or two. For now, please enjoy! It's hero time!


	2. Chapter 2

Kevin made the first move. He wound up and threw a right hook at Ben's head. For a moment, it looked like the blow would connect, but Ben's forearm showed up out of nowhere to block the incoming fist. Kevin yelped as his fist connected. It felt like he had slammed his fist full force into a boulder.

Ben made the second move. A single uppercut to the chin threw Kevin back into his motorcycle where the bike snapped under the sudden impact. He stepped towards his old friend as the other two pulled their rifles and fired off a volley of shots aimed at Ben. The superheated plasma bolts hit only air as he moved out of their way. Simultaneously, Ben slammed a kick into the man's stomach and a fist into the woman's, staggering them both and taking the wind from them.

By this time, Kevin had stood up again and had absorbed the street's concrete into a protective layer of armor. He roared and charged at Ben, unleashing a barrage of blows that many would be taken down by the sheer ferocity on its own. Ben, however, was not most. There was a bright green flash and Diamondhead slammed a fist into Kevin's face, breaking the cartilage of his nose and drawing blood.

"Kevin, stop this now," Ben begged. "You don't have to continue fighting. You don't have to lose."

"I won't lose to a damn fuck like you," Kevin snarled. He spat blood that had spilled from his split lip. "You never could win against me."

Ben looked at his old friend sadly. "That was a long time ago."

He grabbed ahold of Kevin's arm and brought a knee into the man's gut. Kevin gasped as the two lowest sets of ribs broke under the force of the blow and fell to his knees. His eyes met Ben's, and he surged back up only to be brought down once more by a blow to his knee. The two others had recovered by this time and were once more firing their plasma rifles at Ben, but the shots had no effect on Diamondhead's skin.

"Leave, now," Ben said coldly. "Any more, and I can't guarantee you'll leave here alive."

The woman knelt down next to Kevin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kevin, we can't win here. We'll bring the rest of the gang next time and beat this bitch to a pulp."

Kevin shrugged off her hand and stood up, holding an arm to his ribs. He glared at Ben with all the hate and anger he could muster. Taking a step forwards, his now broken knee collapsed under his weight. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small syringe. Smiling at Ben, he plunged the needle into his leg and injected the chemicals housed in the vial. His smile quickly turned into a snarl as he battled the sudden onset of pain.

Ben didn't know what Kevin had injected into himself, but he knew it wasn't good. He slammed his hands into the ground and forced a wall of crystal to surround them as Kevin's transformation began. The clothes on Kevin's body began to tear and fall in shreds as his form began to grow. Two smaller arms erupted from his sides as wings tore themselves from his back. A tail snaked out behind him and his head erupted in a blaze of fire. Ben's heart dropped as he beheld the Kevin he knew from a possible future he had been brought to.

Kevin 11 laughed as he beheld his new form. Turning his attention to his companions, he slammed a flaming tentacle into them, hurling them back. "I don't need help," he snarled. "I'm going to pummel him into the ground."

With another flash of green light, Ben stood in his human form. His heart hurt as he stepped towards Kevin. He had no choice but to break the other man's spirit now. He was too much of a threat otherwise.

"Time to die, Tennyson," Kevin 11 laughed as he lunged at Ben. He swung a fist at Ben but the blow was easily blocked. Kevin 11 looked at the human, bewildered. "What the hell did you do?"

"You have to be shown the power that you are up against. I have to show you that you can't hurt my family and get away with it," Ben said sadly. "I'm sorry Kevin."

The blows that came reminded Kevin 11 of Vilgax when he had been trapped with the tyrant in the other dimension. They were ruthless, efficient, and devoid of anything humane. The blows broke bones and snapped his limbs. He tried to hover away, but Ben grabbed ahold of his tail and slammed him into the crystal wall that surrounded them, breaking his wings. Pain flowered in Kevin 11's mind, blocking out all thought. He had figured Ben had become somewhat stronger, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined the twerp had become this powerful.

As Kevin fell to the ground, beaten and broken, Ben stood triumphant. His panting breaths fogged in front of him. He looked at the two companions Kevin 11 had brought with him. Motioning for them to grab Kevin 11, he snarled, "Show your faces here again, and I won't be so merciful."

Their faces paled as they latched ropes onto Kevin 11 and dragged his body away. Ben finally relaxed and dropped to his knees. He coughed, spitting blood onto the snow. After taking another pill, Ben turned into Diamondhead and removed the crystal wall. His family stood outside the door, not having dared to venture to the wall. Ben thanked his stars that his plan had worked. He didn't want to see his family fight Kevin.

"Ben? You okay," Max asked as his grandson approached them.

"Yeah," Ben said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Several of them smiles, relieved. Then, their faces turned to horror as Ben seemed to lose consciousness, falling face first into the snow. Max was the first to react and rushed forward to see if his grandson had been wounded. To his surprise, there wasn't a single mark on Ben's body, just some blood flecks around his mouth.

"Gwen, help me get Ben inside," Max said. "I have some diagnostic gear in the Rust Bucket that can tell us what's wrong."

"Don't bother," a voice said. Azmuth walked into view, a walking stick in one hand and a small device in the other. "Your machines don't know what to look for and a diagnosis will take too long. I know what's wrong with Ben."

"Azmuth," Gwen gasped. "Where did you come from? What's wrong with Ben?"

"Ben's wearing a pin that signals me if he activates the Omnitrix," Azmuth said as he hopped onto Ben's chest. "As for what's wrong with Ben, I need to bring him to my lab on Primordia."

"Wait, hold on!" Sandra exclaimed. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think we'd all like to know," Frank said, stepping up in support of his sister-in-law. "What the hell is wrong with Ben?"

Azmuth rolled his eyes and placed the small device on Ben's chest. After pressing a button, an energy field spread out from the device and covered the young man. Assured that the field would hold, the Galvan looked at the family. "Ben is suffering from DNA damage brought on by the extensive use of the Omnitrix. I'd explain, but I'm not sure you'd actually understand."

Max crossed his arms and looked at Azmuth. "You can fix it, right?"

The Galvan nodded without a word. He stepped onto the ground and pulled out another device from his pack. Azmuth fixed Gwen in a stare. "Gwen Tennyson, you must come as well."

"Sorry, what?" Natalie said, glaring at the small alien. "You want to repeat that?"

Azmuth dismissed her glare. "Ben will need some help when I'm done. Unfortunately, Gwen is the only being capable of helping him when everything is done."

"Why me?" Gwen asked.

"You are the only one he will ever truly listen to completely. He sees you as something to aspire to, and right now, you need to be that expectation. I will explain more when we arrive on Primordia."

Gwen nodded slowly and stepped to the creator of the Omnitrix. There were several looks from their parents, ranging from shocked to horror. Sandra spoke up, her voice feeble as the gravity of the situation dawned on them.

"What's going to happen to my boy?" she asked.

"With luck, we will be in time to save him," Azmuth said heavily. "If we are not, then I'm truly sorry for your loss."

With that, Azmuth pressed the device's button. The Galvan, Gwen, and Ben began to disappear in a storm of glowing blue particles. Gwen waved just before her visage disappeared, leaving everyone else on the front lawn. The parents looked at Max.

"What's he talking about?" Carl demanded. "What the hell is going on?"

Max didn't register his son's voice at first. He whispered, more to himself than anyone, "Ben, what happened in these last years?"

When he did register his son's voice, the retired Plumber shook his head. "I have no idea. We have to trust Azmuth."

He led the family back into the house, their Christmas having turned dark once more.

* * *

Gwen gasped as she suddenly appeared within a small room standing atop a glowing pad. Taking in her surroundings, she was surrounded on all sides by metal walls and technical devices, the uses of which she couldn't fathom. Azmuth had upgraded from his labyrinth of caverns since she had last seen him.

"Where is this place?" she asked.

Azmuth hopped off the pad and onto the floor, motioning for a nearby android to carry Ben's prone figure. Walking for the door at the far end of the room, he answered, "This is Primordia. It's a planet located near the galactic center. It's a primal world, one of the last of its kind. Basically, it's one of the first planets to ever form. It has certain properties that make it a welcome base of operations."

"Such as?"

The Galvan lead her and the android through the network of passageways and corridors, his pace quick and worrying. "Due to the closeness it shares with Heaven's Eye, Sagittarius A to you humans, time flows differently here. The extreme gravity changes time here even though we are far from the event horizon. On Primordia, time is slower by approximately two, so time is twice as long as it is here."

"So what happens here is quicker than on Earth," Gwen said. "So Ben's condition won't progress as fast?"

"Yes and no," Azmuth stated. "To us, Ben is deteriorating at the same pace. To those on Earth, it is true that they will perceive it as slower."

Gwen nodded in understanding. She remained quiet until they reached a large doorway leading to an expansive room deep in the complex. Even more machines were arrayed out, each one attended to by an android of advanced design. It almost seemed like something out of science fiction.

"This is my gene-forge," Azmuth said as they walked to the center of the room. "Hopefully, I can cure Ben of his ailment here."

As the android placed Ben on the table, Gwen asked what the field he was in was used for. Azmuth said it was a time dilation field, though many called it a stasis field. It brought whatever was inside outside of the regular flow of time and into a much slower time frame, so that every second passed for Ben within the field, ten years would occur outside.

"It is a piece of technology that is from a bygone age on Galvan," Azmuth said. "Only a few can maintain it, let alone repair or reproduce it."

"What's happening to Ben, Azmuth," Gwen finally asked. "Does it have something to do with the Omnitrix?"

Azmuth pulled a machine to them. An arm extended from the machine as restraints forced Ben to remain on the table. A needle protruded from the arm and stabbed into Ben's arm, drawing a small amount of blood.

"It does," Azmuth said simply. "The Omnitrix, when bonded, mutates the DNA of the host to allow for the seamless transformations you are familiar with. Without this, the host would die after a few uses due to the Omnitrix having to destroy the cells over and over again. To mutate from alien to alien, the Omnitrix has to transform the host back into their default state then into the other alien. It happens in only a fraction of an instant, but that's enough for some unforeseen mutations to occur."

Azmuth stepped to the side to allow for Gwen to see the screen on the machine. On one side, there was the helix of normal DNA. On the other, she guessed Ben's DNA, was a disfigured and torn helix. "What's going on?"

"Unfortunately, Ben's DNA has suffered permanent damage from the extensive use of the Omnitrix without time for the Omnitrix to 'reset' his DNA. Without such a reset, Ben's DNA has mutated out of control and is literally tearing him apart from the inside out."

They both looked up as Ben moaned, his eyes fluttering open. Gwen rushed to his side and placed a hand on his. He looked at her and smiled.

"The big secret's out, huh?" he chuckled. "I was hoping for more time."

Azmuth jumped on the table and kicked Ben in the side of his face. "You idiot! I told you about what would happen without that genetic reset, and you still let it happen? What the hell were you thinking?"

Ben coughed and blood flecks flew from his lips. "I was in a war, Azmuth. There wasn't time to wait for the Omnitrix to reset and the time to recover. When I did have the time, it was already too late."

Gwen looked at Ben, worry written on her face. "What war? What happened?"

"The Peptropia Wars," Azmuth whispered. "You really did get involved then? The rumors weren't lies or exaggerations?"

Ben shook his head. "I fought for three years straight. Every day was a battle for survival. Tetrax wouldn't lead the Black Company, so command fell to me. There wasn't time to allow the Omnitrix to reset my DNA. I overrode the program several times with master control. It would have taken me out of the fighting for a week and many more would have died."

Azmuth nodded, and Gwen looked at them confused and angry. "What are you talking about?"

Jumping onto the machine once more, Azmuth turned to her. "That will be for Ben to tell you. For now, I have to remove the Omnitrix and force the genetic reboot myself. This will take time and Ben will be in more pain than he has suffered ever before. You may choose to stay or leave."

Gwen squeezed Ben's hand, both to reassure herself and Ben. "I'll stay."

"Then the procedure will begin," Azmuth said. He looked at Ben, meeting his eyes before saying, "Ben, I'm sorry for what must be done."

Ben just looked at the Galvan and smiled. "Thanks for everything, Azmuth."

The Galvan nodded and took ahold of the machine's controls. Multiple arms extended out and the procedure began.


	3. Chapter 3

Gwen stood in the massive room, her hand resting on Ben's. She looked at the man who lay unconscious before her. Many hours had passed since the procedure had begun. Ben had screamed louder than she had thought possible as Azmuth tore his DNA apart and rebuilt it from the samples the Omnitrix had saved. The Galvan had worked tirelessly on the young man, his hand never wavering or his resolve crumbling. For that, Gwen was thankful. Now, Ben lay on the table, his body seemingly no different than when he had first come to Primordia.

"I believe he will make a full recovery," Azmuth said from the table beside her. "There may be some unforeseen side effects, and you must contact me should you believe any occur. Do not hesitate, Gwen."

She nodded, her eyes never leaving her cousin. Tears began to pour down her face and she bent over to rest her forehead on her cousin's. They had only seen each other for a few hours, and the emotional strain on her was too much for the moment. She cried, her sobs wracking her body. Azmuth looked onwards, silent.

Gwen stood there for several minutes, crying. When her tears began to subside, Azmuth placed a hand on her elbow, drawing her attention.

"Gwen, you have already done so much for him. You have done much for me over these last many years. For that, you have my utmost thanks," he said. "Now, Ben needs you more than ever. I'm worried that the mental effects will be drastic. He has not been without the Omnitrix for over a decade, and that alone will take a toll on him."

Nodding, Gwen squeezed Ben's hand gently. "I'll look after him, Azmuth."

An android stepped forward and took Ben in its arms. Azmuth jumped from the table and began to walk towards the teleport bay, Ben and Gwen in toe. They walked in silence, everyone exhausted from the procedure. When they reached the teleport bay, Azmuth pulled a cellphone-sized object and handed it to Gwen with the words, "Should he present any symptoms, simply press the button and I will come."

Gwen pocketed the device and took Ben from the android. They stepped onto the teleport bay and began to disappear in a cloud of blue particles. Before she knew it, they were standing outside of Ben's house. She knocked on the door and was glad to see everyone. After Max and Carl took Ben to lay him in a bed, she sat down at the table with a heavy sigh.

"So what happened?" Frank asked, pouring his daughter a cup of coffee. "You guys were only gone for maybe three hours or so."

"Time is different on Primordia, apparently," Gwen said. "Time is half what it is here. We were gone for almost seven hours on our end."

"Ah," Frank said as Max and Carl entered the room.

Max sat down and made coffee for himself and Carl. "Azmuth said something about genetic damage from the Omnitrix. What was that about?"

Gwen explained what Azmuth had told her. She showed them the cellphone-like device. "He gave me this in case Ben showed any signs of genetic deterioration or side effects. Apparently, Azmuth's procedure was experimental and not tested."

"Damn," Carl swore. "I wonder how he'll take it when he wakes up?"

Max shrugged, looking contemplatively into his coffee. "Who knows? Ben's been away for so long, I'm not sure what he thinks anymore. When I saw him about to fight Kevin, he seemed so relaxed. It was almost like that was no big deal, that he had faced down much worse."

Gwen perked up. "Ben did say something about a Petropia Wars? That mean anything?"

Max's eyes went wide. Carl saw this, saying, "Dad? What is she talking about? What does that have to do with Ben?"

"What I know is rumor and conjecture," Max said. "However, from what I hear, Petropia, the home of the Petrosapiens, was invaded by Vilgax. After his last defeat, he escaped Earth and gathered his forces. He held a grudge against Tetrax, and he attempted to sack the planet. The Black Company was the first outsider to enter the war. There are rumors that Ben was on the planet, but nothing was ever proven."

"I was there," Ben said from the stairs. He leaned heavily on the stair rail, his torso covered with sweat. His skin was almost grey under the lights. "And it wasn't a war. It was a bloodbath."

Gwen rushed over and wrapped an arm around him, helping the weakened Ben to the table. When he was seated, she sat next to Max and asked, "What happened on Petropia?"

Ben's eyes began to glaze over as he relived the worst three years of his life. "We received a distress communication from the planet as we neared the system. There were rumors of Vilgax spreading, and we wanted to check them out. When we got there, Black Company and all remaining forces were given to Tetrax to command. He refused, saying he would not be an effective leader given his state of mind. I was chosen instead. We made planetfall and were immediately ambushed by Vilgax's forces. He was still using robots, but these were far more advanced than anything we'd seen before. After securing a landing zone, we sent out a message to any remaining Petrosapiens on the planet to make their way to us. Meanwhile, I led an offensive front to retake a city to use as a base of operations. Even though we had skill and tech, we were outgunned and slaughtered. I was forced to make a retreat to the landing zone."

Everyone's eyes widened. They knew Ben had been in dangerous situations, but this far outranked anything they had thought. No one had expected him to be in a full-out war.

"We eventually did retake the city, but it was a hard, grueling experience. This was true siege warfare. We sat for weeks, months even, hurling everything we had at this city. Eventually, the robots were destroyed and we made a base out of it. When the Petrosapiens began to arrive, they brought news from everywhere else on the planet. Entire cities had been wiped clean, slaughtered in days if not hours. We treated those we could. Many died in the initial year of the war. Black Company was reduced to half-strength, maybe less. I remembered the faces of those who died. Eventually, Vilgax upped the ante. He started a scorched earth war, destroying _everything_. It turned from a war of freedom and repulsion to a war for the very existence of the species."

"It was at this time we managed to locate Vilgax. He was holed up in the capital, managing the war from a throne of bones. I remember Tetrax's face when we got the images; he was furious beyond thought. Something in him died that day. Hell, something died in all of us." Ben began to cry, his tears betraying the agony in his mind. "We decided on one last mission. We would take the Crystal Citadel and execute Vilgax."

Max looked down, shaking his head slowly. He knew the terrors of war, the raw emotions involved with killing the enemy. He couldn't wrap his mind around what Ben had experienced. When he looked up, he saw the ghost of a prideful smile on his grandson's face.

"When I asked for volunteers," Ben said, "Not a single one stepped down. Many Petrosapiens joined Black Company that night. We made our way to the Crystal Citadel under the cover of an earthquake. While Vilgax was busy with the caverns collapsing, we managed to make our way into the Citadel. We were met with thousands of robots, even more terrifying than the ones we faced before. We numbered in the hundreds. We fought our way through legions of robots, but there were six for every one that fell. Eventually, we were pushed into a maze of corridors designed to shift and trap any who entered. Ironically, Vilgax was at the center. Tetrax, Rook, and I escaped the heavy conflict and made our way through the maze. Petrosapiens are naturally attuned to the earth, and Tetrax guided us to our target. We reached the throne room, and everything went to shit."

"I fought Vilgax, but he was far different than when I last faced him. He seemed more machine than organic and built from the same machinery as the robots. He wiped the floor with me, damaging the Omnitrix in the process. Tetrax managed to break his armor in places before he too fell. Rook, that idiot, dropped a quantum bomb into the reactor of the Citadel. He activated a dead man switch. He smiled at us and told us to go, leave the rest to him. Vilgax tried to rip him apart, but Root was too fast. Tetrax and I, along with our remaining forces, escaped. We were badly hurt, but alive. As we made our escape, the earth shook and the Citadel erupted."

Ben put his face into his hands, sobbing. "Rook died, but we lived."

None of them knew what to say. Their minds struggled to grasp the suffering Ben was experiencing. He had almost lost everything, but lost a friend instead. None save Max even had an inkling about what Ben must be feeling as he broke down.

Ben slammed a fist on the table, splintering the wood and shocking everyone. "It should have been me! I should have told him to leave with Tetrax! I should have -"

"Ben, stop," Gwen begged. She leaned down next to him and held him in her arms. "Rook saved you because he believed in you to continue the mission. He knew you would save everyone you could."

Ben said nothing, instead just cried until he could cry no longer.

AN: Hey everyone! So sorry for the late update! I had a nasty mixture of work, life, and sheer, ungodly writer's block get in the way. However, here is Chapter 03 of Crossing the Divide! Enjoy and reviews are most welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

The next several days were a blur to Ben. He rarely spoke, even then answering in only a few words. There was a haunted look in his eyes, something that wasn't there when he had first arrived back on Earth. His parents tried to comfort him, but they quickly found that they wouldn't be able to get through to him. He had turned away from them all, closing himself off to their words and actions, locking himself away in a dark space in his mind. Gwen returned to the Plumbers, only to find that she was taken from active duty when the situation was explained to the Watch Commander. She didn't protest, only thanking him and returning to Belwood.

Ben shut himself in his old room for the first three days, only leaving for meager amounts of food. On the fourth, Gwen forcefully dragged him from the bed and out into the main house. His parents were away on work, leaving him alone.

"Ben, you have to start talking to us," Gwen said, sitting him on the couch. She took up the spot next to him. "You are starting to worry the rest of us."

He just looked at the empty space in front of him. She narrowed her eyes and slapped the back of his head, sending him into a whirlwind of swearing. Ben glared at her, rubbing his head. "What the hell was that for?"

"It's about time you return to the world of the living," she growled. "Did you hear what I said?"

"What's there to say? I'm useless now," he grumbled. Unconsciously, he rubbed the wrist where the Omnitrix had been for little over a decade. "I'm just a normal human. I'm not good at anything. I'm twenty-three, a high-school degree, and no experience in anything other than being a hero. Even then, I wasn't a good one."

"I'm only going to tell you once," Gwen said softly, though it made a chill run down Ben's spine. "You are an amazing hero. You had better get that through your damn head. Rook made his choice. Everyone made their choice on Petropia. You aren't responsible for that. I'm not going to stand by and let you beat yourself up for something that was outside of your control."

"Don't talk about Rook as if you knew him!" Ben screamed, leaping to his feet. There was a fire in his eyes, though Gwen knew it didn't have heat. "He died under my command! I should have died that day! It should have been _me_!"

She slapped him again, this time across the face. Her eyes stared into him, burrowing into his broken heart. He couldn't believe the disappointment and hurt in them. "Do you know why he sacrificed himself?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

"He believed in you," she said coldly. "Rook believed in you to carry on the mission where others couldn't. He knew the risks of that fight, yet he went anyways. He believed that you could protect more people than he could. Don't you dare dishonor his memory like this."

Ben just looked at her, his face a mixture of shame, anger, and pain. He sat on the couch, not meeting her look. "What the hell can I do? I don't have the Omnitrix anymore. I can't protect anyone."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Gwen walked over and opened it, revealing the imposing figure of a Petrosapien in full combat gear. "Can I help you?"

"Excuse me ma'am, is this the Tennyson residence?" he asked politely. "I'm looking for the home of Benjamin Tennyson."

"What's it to you?" she demanded, hands on her hips. Even though he was at least a foot-and-a-half over her, Gwen met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I'm here to collect him," the Petrosapien explained. "Black Company summons him to the field again."

"Go away, Diamond Head," Ben shouted from the couch. "I'm done with Black Company."

"Diamond Head?" Gwen looked at him. While he did resemble Ben's Petrosapien, the color of his skin was darker, and he was slimmer than his namesake.

"May I come in?"

Gwen nodded and stepped aside, allowing the Petrosapien to enter. He walked over to Ben and saluted before kneeling on the floor. She was shocked by both the Petrosapien's respect for Ben, but also how Ben didn't seem to react.

"Ben, sir, please return to the ship," Diamond Head asked. "The Company needs you again."

Ben just shook his head, once again looking at the empty space in front of him. "I can't, Diamond Head. I don't have the Omnitrix anymore." He tapped the wrist.

"What?" Diamond Head exclaimed. He jumped to his feet. "What the hell happened?"

"The Sickness finally caught up to me," Ben chuckled. "Turns out that reset was quite important."

Diamond Head just stood there, his hands clenched at his sides. Gwen saw the subtle shaking that betrayed the eruption of emotions. She walked up to them and explained the situation to Diamond Head. When she was done, Diamond Head just knelt back down, his head lowered.

"Tetrax needs to know," he said. "As lieutenant, I must report this to the Commander. Forgive me, Ben."

Ben didn't respond as Diamond Head keyed in a command to his communication device. After several minutes, a hologram of Tetrax appeared over the device.

"What is it, Diamond Head?" he asked gruffly. "Have you collected Ben?"

"Sir, there's a complication with that," Diamond Head said. "Ben no longer has the Omnitrix."

Tetrax showed no visible reaction, just his voice growing cold. "Explain."

"Hello, Tetrax," Gwen said, stepping into the viewable area. "Ben's genes became too messed up. Azmuth had to remove it so that Ben didn't die."

"Good to see you Gwen," he said. "Azmuth did contact us, but I haven't had a chance to see it. I'm guessing this explains it. How is Ben handling it?"

"Not well," she said.

"Oh fuck you all," Ben snarled, lurching to his feet. "Don't talk to me like I'm not fucking here."

"Sorry, Ben," Tetrax said. "Show respect to your cousin, however. Diamond Head and I are one thing, but Gwen is another."

"Tetrax," Gwen said. "What are the qualifications for Black Company?"

"I'll send them to Diamond Head. Why?"

She looked at Ben, her eyes hopeful. "We're going to work to meet them."

"You're a Plumber, so you're probably already qualified," he said. "That works for me, though. Diamond Head, you're assignment has changed. You are to help them and evaluate when they may return to Black Company. Do you need supplies from the ship?"

"Only some food until I can establish contact with the Plumbers," Diamond Head answered.

"Do you have any funds we can use?" Gwen asked. "I doubt the Plumbers will be happy about us training in Belwood."

Tetrax looked at something off hologram and nodded. "I can send some to Diamond Head as well. Have the Plumbers convert it into Earth money. If I'm right, it should be about four million of your dollars."

Gwen's eyes widened like dinner plates. "Four million?!"

"You'll need an isolated area," he explained. "I'll send some gear to help, but unless you can find a place already, you'll need to build the facilities yourself. This will be with the Plumbers' of course."

"Understood, sir," Diamond Head said. "How am I to establish contact with the Plumbers?"

"I can help with that," Max said as he walked in the door. "Sorry, overheard that last bit. I can talk to the local Watch Commanders about an abandoned facility near here. If you finance it, we'll rebuild."

"Hey Grandpa," Gwen said, hugging him. "I'm glad you showed up."

"You're...you're _the_ Max Tennyson?!" Diamond Head stuttered. He launched to his feet and walked over to shake Max's hand. "Sir, it is an honor and privilege to meet the legendary Max Tennyson!"

"Thank you," Max said bashfully. "And you are?"

Diamond Head snapped off a crisp salute. "Diamond Head, First Lieutenant of Alpha Chapter. I serve under Captain Ben Ten, sir!"

Max raised an eyebrow. "Diamond Head?"

"Yes sir!"

"At ease, son," Max said with a chuckle. "You can stop with the formalities. Call me Max if you'd like. I'm well past the days of 'sir.'"

Diamond Head relaxed, though not all the way. "Yes sir. I mean, Max."

Ben finally spoke up, turning to look at the three of them. "What the hell Gwen?! You're going to volunteer me for this whole shit?"

"You need to be in Black Company," she growled. "You won't be happy again until you are. When you came back, you lit up when you talked about it. I refuse to see you wallow in misery and defeat."

"There is no such thing as defeat in Black Company," Diamond Head affirmed. "You can learn from a loss, but defeat is unacceptable."

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'm not going to like it."

"Oh sir!" Diamond Head, turning back to the hologram. "May I make a request?"

Tetrax nodded. "Hello, Max. Go ahead Diamond Head."

"I want First Squad here with us," Diamond Head said. "Gwen would be joining us, correct? We need to start integrating her as soon as possible."

He sighed, rubbing his chin. "Fine, First Squad will join you. For now, Diamond Head, you are in charge of First Squad. Gwen will act as your second."

"What about me?" Ben yelled.

Tetrax fixed him with a glare that could freeze Hell over. "You are not fit to command, if your earlier outburst is anything to go by. For now, you are to act as a squad member. Diamond Head is your direct superior. With Gwen acting as his second, she is too. You will be given command again once Gwen and Diamond Head give their approval."

"Gwen isn't even a member of Black Company!"

"She is now," Tetrax growled. "Do not push me to demote you, Ben."

"She's a Plumber. How can she be Black Company?" Diamond Head asked.

"Max, I'd like you to speak on my behalf," Tetrax said. "Get Gwen to be a part of Black Company. You are allowed reasonable negotiations."

Max nodded. "Will do, old friend. Gwen, are you sure this is what you want? Black Company isn't a nice place to be. They fight on the frontlines of incursions, boarding actions, the works."

"A fair assessment," Tetrax conceded. "This will be nothing like the Plumbers."

Gwen straightened. "I will do it. Defeat is not an option, right?"

Tetrax just smiled. Max looked at Gwen, his mind immediately going to Verdona. Ben just cursed and sat back down.

"Diamond Head, good luck," Tetrax said. "Gwen, Ben, Max, it's good to see you all again."

"Alright," Gwen said as the transmission ended. "When do we start?"

* * *

It had been a week since the conversation with Tetrax, and Gwen was now standing in the official Black Company training base, courtesy of the Plumbers. She marveled at how quickly the base was set up. There was a barracks with a gym, armory, and command center with all the equipment, weapons, and ammunition they could need.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Max asked as he walked up behind her.

She looked at him in surprise. "It really is. How did it all get set up so quickly?"

"Well, the grounds and basic structures were already here. There's about a half-mile wide area for the actual base, but another five or so in each direction of heavily wooded space. The Plumbers built this place to last, so we didn't have to do much. Tetrax had the supplies and equipment dropped off yesterday."

"So how did you get this all to happen in a week? Pulled some strings?"

"Not really," Max said as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Black Company recovers a lot of tech from battles, and the Plumbers now have exclusive rights to the remainder after we take what we want."

Gwen looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We?"

"I'm an official member of Black Company," Max said. "I'll be on Earth exclusively as the ambassador between the Plumbers and us. By the way, your discharge papers arrived yesterday."

"Good," she said with a nod. "Now we can focus on getting Ben on his feet again."

"How's he doing?"

Gwen just put her face in her hands. "He's barely eating still and won't willingly leave his room. The Omnitrix was part of him for so long, I'm not surprised he's depressed. It's the emotional damage from Rook passing that I'm worried most about. He still blames himself as the commander of that mission and sees it as a failure. I'm hoping being with his squadmates will help him realize that he can continue on without the Omnitrix."

"That would be a good place to start," Max said. "Even though he won't ever admit it, Ben has a hero complex to some extent. He loves being the hero. We can help where we can, but he has to realize that not every day has to be one of being one."

Diamond Head chose that moment to walk over to them, a holotablet in hand. He nodded to them as he spoke, handing Gwen the holotablet. "This is the complete manual for Black Company. It covers everything you need to know about how we do things. Normally, we would give this to you before you became a member. Tetrax has granted me the right to commence your training before you pass the written exam."

"How is this so organized for a mercenary band that's only been around for less than a decade?" Gwen asked.

"Black Company has existed for less than a decade, true, but many of us have had military and mercenary careers before this. We all pooled our knowledge and came up with this. We haven't had that many recruits over the last few years, so the entrance part is still in experimental stages. Eventually, now that we have this base, we will be expanding our forces slowly as to not overextend ourselves."

"Makes sense," Gwen said. She began to browse through the manual, coming across several sections about the biology of different aliens and where to hit them for maximum damage. "Hey Diamond Head, what's the deal with prisoners. I noticed there's not much on containment"

Diamond Head's expression turned dark. "There's not much there because almost no one here outside of Ben and Tetrax has any experience on that matter. We fight in the most heated battles in the galaxy. We don't have the luxury of suppression and containment. Our weapons are geared for maximum damage so that we can walk away at the end of the day."

"Damn," Max muttered. "Plumbers don't usually have that problem."

"Plumbers don't fight wars," Diamond Head countered. "Usually, there's only a handful of aliens at most, correct? We fight armies, Max. Casualties are to be expected on both sides, but I'd rather kill to save my family than to capture and lose more."

Gwen shuddered. She knew that fighting would be a thing, but killing was something else. To take a life was something she didn't know how to feel about.

"Don't worry," Diamond Head said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You are a recruit. You won't be facing the enemy head on yet. Despite the fact we're Alpha Squad, I doubt we'll be seeing the really dangerous stuff for a while. Tetrax has narrowed down the parameters for our missions when Alpha Squad is up to snuff."

"I thought Black Company fought as a whole unit?"

"Most of the time, squads go on missions independently. We only fight as a whole unit when we fight incursions or invasions," Diamond Head explained. "That's only happened four times in the last decade or so."

"Petropia was one of those, right?" Max asked.

Diamond Head just nodded. He reached into the pouch on his belt and withdrew a small package, handing it to Gwen. "Inside is your uniform. It's a combat suit, but experimental since we've only had Ben with us before. Even then, he had the Omnitrix and didn't need one. The Galvans in R&D fixed it up. Let me know if there's any problems so I can have Cro look at it. He'll be the Galvan on base for the next few weeks while we finish settling in."

Gwen thanked him. She began to read the manual again, but looked up at the Petrosapien. "Mind if I ask about your name?"

He chuckled, settling down on the bench next to Gwen and Max. "That's a fun story. During the invasion of Petropia, Ben saved our village. I come from a clan where we have two names: a given name and a taken name. My given name is Prisma. When Ben saved me, he was Diamondhead. I decided to use that as my taken name out of great respect and admiration. The Elders weren't too happy with me, though."

"Why's that?"

"Taken names are usually taken after a quest to the Heart of Petropia, but I broke tradition. I have no regrets, however. I will keep this name with pride and joy until I am interred in the earth once more," he said proudly.

Max smiled that his grandson had that much of an impact on someone. "Well, that is a good story."

Gwen nodded and stood. "We should get to the barracks."

The other two nodded and began to walk towards the largest building. As they walked, Plumbers and Black Company ran around. Gwen was filled with pride that the two forces could work together. It was a good step forward for Earth to join the greater galaxy, and she couldn't wait to see it again for herself.

**Hey dudes and dudettes! Sorry for the long delay, I was busy dealing with unfortunate life events. That said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next ones coming up! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Good and Bad! Thanks and have a good one :)**


	5. Apologies

**Dear Readers,**

**I have some unfortunate news: early last week, my laptop was subjected to a power surge that fried it. What this means is that I lost all of my notes, chapters, **_**everything**_ **for the following fanfictions:**

**\- Crossing the Divide Revised (Ben 10)**

**\- Fox Emperor of the West (Naruto)**

**\- Rebirth of a Sage (Naruto)**

**\- Trials of Live (Naruto)**

**I am so, so sorry that this happened. I had yet to save the documents to Google Drive or any other external source. For now, these stories will be on hiatus. I am NOT abandoning these stories, although if one of you would like to adopt one I will not be opposed, just pm me. I will be reviewing the stories and will be recreating the notes as best I can and I will hopefully be updating them sometime in the next few months. Again, I am so, so sorry for this to happen. Please review and tell me if you'd like to see these stories continued. For now, thanks and have a good one.**

**\- FrostyTheDragon**


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